əˈhɛd bɪˈfɔː bəˈfɔɹ bɪˈfo(ː)ɹ ˈɝliɚ ˈɜː.lɪə earlier in time; previously I had known her before as I said before he called me the day before but your call had come even earlier her parents had died four years earlier I mentioned that problem earlier at or in the front I see the lights of a town ahead the road ahead is foggy staring straight ahead we couldn't see over the heads of the people in front with the cross of Jesus marching on before